“All films have a strong, relevant 314, 636, 618 connection,” Clark said. “This was a record year for submissions. We had nearly 160 choices to whittle down to things that worked well together and were the very best possible films.”

The Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. The Showcase screens works that were written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or films with strong local ties. The 15 film programs that screen at the Tivoli from July 16-20 serve as the Showcase’s centerpiece. The programs range from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Many of the programs with feature-length films include post-screening Q&As with filmmakers.